Last year we asked our members to complete a comprehensive survey about their experiences at and impressions of the Levite Jewish Community Center. The same survey went to members of nearly 50 other JCCs around the country. The survey’s administration was handled by a professional firm hired by JCC Association of America.
The response rate of our members was heartening, with a full 22 percent responding — the highest rate of all the JCCs (which averaged 12 percent). We were also excited to see that our member retention rate — the number of members who held a membership from January to December last year — hit 76 percent, a full 16 points above the national average.
Thank you on both counts. We look forward to at least as good a response rate when we repeat the survey in the fall of 2025.
Digging in
Last week Michael Feinstein, interim chief financial officer and vice president of strategic initiatives at JCC Association of North America, visited The J to help the staff and board interpret the vast amount of data generated by the survey.
“I was nervous about Michael presenting our benchmarking results,” says Isa Dorsky, president of the board. “But my nerves were calmed when I saw that the results were often in line with — or even better than — our peer comparison group” (which includes other JCCs of similar size that offer similar services).
Some of the more interesting data points, for example, lined up well with The J’s mission of enhancing Jewish identity through programs and activities that promote culture and cultivate education. According to the survey, 54 percent of our non-Jewish members have developed an understanding of a shared value through their membership, while 35 percent have made Jewish friends and 22 percent say they’ve attended Jewish community events.
“We seem to be succeeding at educating members of other faiths about our culture and traditions while at the same time strengthening our members’ Jewish identities,” says Isa.
“As a non-Jewish leader of a Jewish organization it’s especially gratifying to see how our mission is taking hold,” says Executive Director Brooke Bowles. “And these numbers from our non-Jewish members were recorded before we hired a director of Jewish life. We have reason to expect that they should only get better.”
Action plan
“What excites me about what’s happening at the LJCC is that, starting with Brooke and Isa, the staff and board are excited to learn how to improve the work of the JCC,” explains Michael. “Change starts at the top, and the LJCC has the leadership to create positive change for the organization and the Jewish and broader communities in Birmingham.”
The survey spurred the creation of the following four-point action plan for The J:
- Employees: With nearly 70 percent of the staff having worked at The J for less than two years, it’s important to continue to focus on and invest in them. In addition, the survey showed that our employees are very happy to be here — even significantly more so than at other JCCs.
- Facilities: In addition to replacing half of the cardio equipment in the Sokol Fitness Center and renovating its restrooms (plus the main restrooms near the auditorium), we’ve hired a consultant to improve the fitness floor layout. Throughout The J, we’re identifying cosmetic work that should make a real difference to members and working on a number of other projects.
- The board of directors will work on crafting a more concrete vision for themselves and using it for strategic decision-making.
- We need to enhance Camp J, which is operating at half the capacity of other JCC summer camps.
One of Brooke’s favorite moments from Michael’s two-day visit was when he asked, “Don’t you think you’re on the brink of something here at The J? It feels like you’re on the verge of something big.”
“We absolutely do,” Brooke replied.
Reach out Brooke Bowles if you would like to learn more about the benchmarking survey.